


Just Another Skyrim Let's Play

by WhiteBAG



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Anti-Ulfric Stormcloak, Developing Friendships, Gen, Humor, Skyrim Civil War, Skyrim Main Quest, Thieves Guild Questline
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-15 18:11:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18674854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteBAG/pseuds/WhiteBAG
Summary: What you see is what you get - just another copy of Skyrim, sitting in a chair. Now with more Khajiits! And mods, probably, who knows.





	1. Unbound

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this fic because I needed a break from writing original stories. It isn't really an original story, it's more like Skyrim quests that you all know and love but with this narrative commentary, I suppose. This is something I wrote just for fun to take a breather, so it's nothing serious. You have been warned, Todd bless y'all.

You open your eyes, feeling kind of dizzy.

"Hey, you. You're finally awake." you hear. "You were trying to cross the border, right?"

You shake your head, trying to understand your situation. A man with blond hair, sitting right in front of you keeps talking.

"Walking right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there."

Uhh... maybe? You try to remember but... you have nothing. The man is speaking with the thief now. You realize that you sit in a moving wagon with three other people. Your hands are bound together with a rope. You're wearing some rags and it just accours to you - you don't even have memories. You have no idea who you are, where you are, nor how you got here. It seems that all you have left is your name. You grab onto it, desperately.

"You there." the thief suddenly adresses you. "You and me - we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."

Something tells you that he is correct. You feel like you should agree but since you've lost all your memories, you're not really sure about anything. So you say nothing.

The blond man and the thief continue their talk. Turns out the fourth passager is Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King, Jarl of Windhelm and so on and so on. Those words mean nothing to you at the moment but the thief seems startled.

Soon the wagon arrives its destination. The blond man informs you that the town is called Helgen. It doesn't look like anything special but it's full of Imperial soldiers.

As the cart stops at the center of town, you see an executioner, standing there, waiting to use his axe. Suddenly your future seems as unsure as your past.

The thief, in a moment of sudden panic, makes an attempt run away but the Imperial captain orders an archer to shoot him. Whoever that thief was and however he ended up on that cart - he is now dead on the ground and soon you'll share his fate.

Suddenly you hear a calm voice.

"Wait... You there. Step forward." it's one of the soldiers. He wears a full armor and definietly works for people who are about to remove your head from the rest of your body in the nearest future, but something about him makes you think you can trust him. Maybe it's his calm voice or maybe it's his eyes. He really does look like he's sorry. "Who are you?"

This is the only thing you have left that they didn't take away from you, but you tell him your name.

"You with one of the trade caravans, Khajiit? Your kind always seem to find trouble." he then turns to the woman standing next to him. "Captain. What should we do? She's not on a list."

A light of hope goes out when she answers.

"Forget the list. She goes to the block."

"By your orders, Captain." he looks at you again. His words are sincere. "I'm sorry. We'll make sure your remains are returned to Elsweyr."

There's nothing you can do but watch as the first prisoner loses his head - literally. Now it's your turn. Your head is forced down, to the position, ready to be executed.

And then you see it.

A giant, winged lizard flies from behind the mountain and descends onto the nearby tower with a crash. The beast looks straight into your eyes. The moment seems longer than it actually is. It's like the whole universe is holding its breath. And then... The dragon Shouts.

As the meteors fall from the sky and people scream in panic, you make a good use of this distraction. You get on your feet and run, like your life depends on it. Because it does.

You find a refuge in one of the towers. The blond man and Ulfric from earlier are already there. They talk with each other, not really caring about the fact that your hands are still bounded. You decide to run upstairs to get a better view of what's going on but you don't quite make it to the top - the tower shakes and the wall to your right is blown in, revealing a huge fire-breathing lizard head.

You lay down on the stairs, waiting for it to go away. Finally the beast flies off and you can look outside through the hole. Helgen seems to be completely destroyed beyond all repair.

From where you stand you can see a flaming building, down below. You take a leap and fall through its roof onto the second floor. You grunt in pain but to be completely fair, it doesn't hurt as bad as you thought it would. You find your way down through the hole in the floor and you run out of the inn, looking out for the fireballs, still raining down from the sky.

And then you see that Imperial soldier again. He's busy getting a small boy to safety. You don't know what makes you run over to him. He notices you and grins.

"Still alive, prisoner? Keep close to me if you want to stay that way." he then asks a man hiding nearby to take care of the boy.

"Gods guide you, Hadvar!" you hear the man say.

You and your new companion, Hadvar, run through hell - destroyed buildings, burned bodies, flames all around you and that damned black dragon, somehow uneffected by the meteor shower.

Finally both of you hide in the barracks. You try to catch your breath. There's no one else here.

"Looks like we're the only ones who made it. Was that really a dragon?" Hadvar asks you, his eyes wide. "The bringer of the End Times?"

You know nothing about the End Times. You shake your head and shrug, still too terrified to speak up.

"We should keep moving. Come here. Let's see if I can get those bindings off." he pulls out a dagger and frees your hands with ease. "There you go! Take a look around, there should be plenty of gear to choose from. I'm going to see if I can find something for these burns..."

You find yourself a set of light armor, two swords and some gold pieces. The swords are made of iron so they're not anything special. But it's a start. You change into the Imperial armor and give your swords a few swings. Now we're talking!

"Let's keep moving." Hadvar finally says. "That thing is still out there."

Going further into the building you hear two voices, talking. Your companion looks at you.

"Hear that?" he whispers. "Stormcloaks. Maybe we can reason with them."

You nod but decide to stay alert. Hadvar then reveals himself to the Stormcloaks rebels who almost immediately draw their weapons.

"Hold on now." he says, his voice calm and friendly. He raises his hands in the air. "We only want to..."

But the Stormcloaks are already charging at him. You don't wait for Hadvar to get hurt, you jump in front of him and swing your swords at Stormcloaks like crazy. This diversion lets your companion draw his weapon and join the fight.

Soon the pair of Stormcloaks drop dead on the floor. Your first kill. Something tells you it won't be the last. You wince. The feeling is bitter. If only they listened... You decide to search them for valuables before following Hadvar downstairs.

You spend the next hour or so trying to escape Helgen. The corridors are longer than you expected them to be. You kill hostile Stormcloaks and scoop anything of value that you find along the way, including a book titled "The Book of the Dragonborn". It looks promising, you decide you're going to read it later.

The walls of the building soon end and you find yourself in a cave full of giant frostbite spiders. After all you achieved today, they are no real challenge. The bear sleeping in the next chamber isn't difficult to defeat either - Hadvar hands you a long bow and you kill the bear with one poisoned arrow. The soldier seems impressed.

Finally you see the exit and Hadvar sighs, relieved.

"This looks like the way out! I was starting to wonder if we'd ever make it."

You both leave the cave but before you can even look around, your companion grabs your arm.

"Wait!" he pulls you on the ground. You look up. You see a giant, black dragon, moving across the sky. It roars as it travels over your heads, then it flies off into the distance, disappearing behind the mountain on the horizon.

You and Hadvar stand up slowly.

"Looks like he's gone for good this time." he says. "But I don't think we should stick around to see if he comes back."

He starts going down the path.

"Closest town from here is Riverwood." he says, realizing that you decided to follow him. "My uncle's the blacksmith there. I'm sure he'd help you out. ...It's probably best if we split up. Good luck. I wouldn't have made it without your help today."

"No way, we're not splitting up!" you protest. "This dragon is still out there. Someone has to be around to keep you safe."

He smiles.

"Listen, you should go to Solitude and join up with the Imperial Legion. We could really use someone like you."

You two continue jogging, until he suddenly stops, staring into something in the distance.

"See that ruin up there?" he asks, pointing at the nearest mountain. You can see it without any problem, it's hard to miss, really. It seems to be a large entrance to the Nordic ruins. From the distance it looks like giant ribs made of stone. "Bleak Falls Barrow. When I was a boy, that place always used to give me nightmares. Draugr creeping down the mountain to climb through my window at night, that kind of thing. I admit, I still don't much like the look of it."

You nod. His fears seem understandable. But also, you can't help but feel... happy. You don't believe that Hadvar, the Imperial soldier, would just like that share his childhood fears with a nobody. He must really trust you after all that happened to you two. You feel kind of special.

You don't go far when you reach a bend of the road, getting closer to river now. You see, standing right before you, three ancient menhir-shaped stones, each three meters in height, each display a different constellation carved into its body - a thief, mage and warrior respectively. Hadvar notices you staring.

"These are the Guardian Stones, three of the thirteen ancient standing stones that dot Skyrim's landscape. Go ahead, see for yourself." he encourages you.

You approach the stones. A memory of an old tale slowly appears in your mind. A legend about the magical stones, granting special powers to heroes of old, giving them the ability to rewrite their fate.

You think for a short while. You have a feeling that you can receive only one stone's blessing at the time.

The Thief Stone seems to be the most pleasing one to you. You place a hand on the carving, activating it. A beacon of light shoots up to the sky.

"Thief, eh?" Hadvar smirks. "It's never too late to take charge of your own fate, you know."

"Don't worry, I think I know what I'm doing." you answer with a grin.

As you're nearing Riverwood, a couple of wolves attack you. Of course, they're no challenge at all - you and Hadvar make a good team. After they drop dead, you decide to skin them - they can be worth something. The soldier patiently waits for you to finish.

"Listen, as far as I'm concerned you've already earned your pardon." he says. "But until we get that confirmed by General Tullius, just stay clear of other Imperial soldiers and avoid any complications, all right?"

"Yes, sir." you answer, finishing your job. A chuckle escapes him.

"I'm glad you decided to come with me." he says, in all sincerity. "We're almost to Riverwood."

You soon enter the village. It is very cozy, located in a valley between the eastern bank of the river and the steep mountainside. It has a sawmill, a blacksmith, a small tavern and general store. You smile to yourself. Seems like a perfect place to catch a breath and prepare for the road.

"Things look quiet enough here." says Hadvar, looking around as if he expected to see a dragon behind the corner. "Come on. There's my uncle."

He goes straight to the blacksmith. You sheepishly follow behind.

"Uncle Alvor! Hello!" Hadvar says, waving his hand. The blacksmith stops working and walks over to meet him.

"Hadvar? What are you doing here? Are you on leave from-" he stops mid-sentence after noticing the sorry state of his nephew's clothes. "Shor's bones, what happened to you, boy? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"Shh.. Uncle, please. Keep your voice down. I'm fine. But we should go inside to talk."

"What's going on?" the blacksmith points as you. "And who's this?"

You hold your breath as Hadvar looks at you. He smiles.

"She's a friend. Saved my life in fact. Come on, I'll explain everything, but we need to go inside."

A... a friend! You can't help but blush. Hadvar really does see you as a friend! Your awful experiences from earlier today seem so insignificant now - this is a wonderful day!

"Come on inside." Alvor says. "Sigrid will get you something to eat and you can tell us what happened."

***

You weren't even aware of how hungry you were before this moment. Alvor's wife serves you both dinner. You can't stop yourself from eating while Hadvar tells his family a story about the dragon and your escape from Helgen.

"I don't know if anyone else got out alive. I doubt I'd have made it out myself if not for my friend here." he says, making you blush again.

Only after his story is finished, and after his family members go back to their duties, he starts eating as well.

"So... This whole Ulfric character..." you say after a while. "He's a traitor of some kind?"

Hadvar swallows before answering.

"Right, the leader of the Stormcloaks. They claim to be fighting for Skyrim's freedom, but the war is really all about Ulfric wanting to be High King of Skyrim. He founded the Stormcloaks years ago, as a sort of private army to advance his ambitions. He's always used the ban on the worship of Talos to stir people up against the Empire. He never succeeded in getting much support, so a few months ago he murdered the High King! That got the Empire's attention."

"Oh." you say. So Ulfric commited regicide! You were with him on that wagon and you had no idea! A new idea sparks in your head. "Hadvar... You really think I should join the Imperial Legion?"

"Of course! I know, today wasn't the best introduction to the Legion, but I hope you'll give us another chance. The Legion could really use someone like you, especially now. And if the rebels have themselves a dragon, General Tullius is the only one who can stop them."

You think about it for a second, before answering.

"General Tullius ordered my execution. Why would I want to help him?"

"I don't blame you for being angry about it." Hadvar nods with understanding. "I would be, too, in your shoes. But it was all a mistake. You weren't supposed to be on that cart with those Stormcloak traitors. And the Imperial Legion needs your help, especially now, with that dragon out there somewhere, and Ulfric back on the loose."

You stare at your empty plate, contemplating his words.

"You make a good case." you finally say. "Maybe I will join up."

"I hope so." he smiles at you. "The Legion is Skyrim's only hope right now."

***

You spend your next twenty four hours in Riverwood. First, you help Alvor around the forge, smithing a dagger and making a helmet. It's the least you can do to thank him for his help. He lets you keep them.

You then talk with the local elf, Faendal. The guy is in love with the woman named Camilla. You help him confess his feelings (in a very convoluted scheme you would rather not think about anymore) and he's so grateful, he teaches you how to be a better archer. A way better archer. Turns out you're a natural.

With your newfound abilities, you clean the nearest mine out of bandits. Piece of cake. And the loot makes it all worth it.

You sell all of it in the general store, run by Camilla's brother, Lucan. He asks you if you'd be so kind to retrieve the golden claw - a family heirloom, stolen by bandits. You promise you're going to bring him the claw as soon as you find it.

Alvor lets you stay in for the night. The next morning you're ready to continue your quest - you want to warn the Jarl about the dragon. Hadvar instructs you to take the north road to Whiterun. You hug your friend and his family goodbye and leave their house.

As you cross the bridge leading you out of Riverwood, you look down to glance at your reflection on the water surface. You are nothing more than a petite, khajiit woman. Your fur is white with black stripes and you're still wearing the Imperial light armor. You would really prefer to remember who you were before this day but you don't even know where to start looking for answers. You think about everything that happened in Helgen. You can't believe that you were right there next to Ulfric and let him get away... But you couldn't have known. The situation demanded from you to save your own life. There will be another chance to get him, you're sure of it.

You stare at nothing, lost in your thoughts. You have escaped both your execution and the dragon attack. You have no memories other than that, but what you do have is a freedom to do as you fit.

You jump from the bridge right into the river, screaming: "Suck my dick, Ulfric!"

You allow the current to take you away. It should be faster than walking all the way to Whiterun anyway. ...Probably.


	2. A Chance of Arragement

You get out of the river and continue your journey on foot. You can already see Whiterun - built on a hill, raising above the surrounding thundra, impossible to miss.

You also see two buildings on your left. "Honningbrew Meadery" you read from the wooden sign. You're not a big fan of alcohol, so you pass.

After passing many farmlands and Whiterun stables, you see another Khajiit. A few of them, in fact, camping right outside the gates, making trades with travelers. This is when a new memory appears - the memory of a sad fact that your kind is not allowed in the cities.

You continue walking up the hill and over the drawbridge. The path leads you to the main gate. As soon as you approach, a guard walks over to you. Oh boy, here we go.

"Halt!" he stops you. "City's closed with the dragons about. Official business only."

Suure, that's the only reason you can't enter. Riight.

"I have news from Helgen about the dragon attack." you tell him.

He hesitates before answering: "Fine, but we'll be keeping an eye on you."

You move onward, staring right at him, provocatively. Then you enter the city.

You don't stop to chat with anyone - you run between residential buildings, straight to the Jarl's palace. You're almost at the top of the stairs when you hear a small group of guards, talking in hushed voices.

"They say Ulfric Stormcloak murdered the High King... with his voice! Shouted him apart!" one of the guards claims.

You stop and turn around. Ulfric Shouted the High King apart?! Shouted, like a dragon? For a second you want to ask the guard about the details but you quickly decide against it. You don't want to make them think you're looking for trouble.

The palace is as impressive inside as it is outside - big, constructed in the ornate wooden style. The main chamber of the keep is where the Jarl holds court on his throne beyond the long tables and central fire pit. The shelves on the both sides of the hall are full of books. There are balconies on the upper floor and the skull of a dragon above the Jarl's throne.

You don't quite make it to the throne as you are approached by the dark elf woman who seems to be the Jarl's bodyguard.

"What's the meaning of this interruption?" she asks, drawing her weapon. "Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors."

"I have news from Helgen." you tell her, patiently. "About the dragon attack."

"Well, that explains why the guards let you in." she immediately hides her weapon. "Come on then, the Jarl will want to speak to you personally."

She leads you to the throne. The Jarl seems to be busy, talking with his advisor.

"My lord. Please. You have to listen." the advisor says. "I only counsel caution. We cannot afford to act rashly in times like these. If the news from Helgen is true... well, there's no telling what it means."

"What would you have me do, then? Nothing?" the Jarl answers, annoyed.

"My lord. Please. This is no time for rash action. I just think we need more information before we act. I just..."

"Who's this, then?" the Jarl is now referring to you. His bodyguard leans to him and whispers. After she finishes explaining, the Jarl looks at you in a new way - he seems to be sort of impressed. "So. You were at Helgen? You saw this dragon with your own eyes?"

"I was there." you wonder if you should bow or maybe get on your knees but instead you just nod awkwardy. "I saw the dragon burn Helgen to the ground."

"By Ysmir, Irileth was right!" Balgruuf turns to his advisor again."What do you say now, Proventus? Shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?"

"My lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once." the bodyguard interjects. "It's in the most immediate danger, if that dragon is lurking in the mountains..."

"The Jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation!" Proventus protests. "He'll assume we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and attack him."

"Enough!" Balgruuf yells. "Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once."

"Yes, my Jarl." says the woman before running off.

Proventus seems like he wants to add something else.

"We should not-"

"I'll not stand idly by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people!" Balgruuf yells again.

The advisor shuts his mouth and looks at his feet.

"If you'll excuse me, I'll return to my duties." he says, quietly.

"That would be best." the Jarl waits for Proventus to walk away, then he turns to you. His tone is much friendlier now. "Well done. You sought me out, on your own initiative. You've done Whiterun a service, and I won't forget it. Here, take this as a small token of my esteem."

He stands up and hands you a piece of steel armor. Nice. This gotta be worth something.

"There is another thing you could do for me." he places a hand on your shoulder. "Suitable for someone of your particular talents, perhaps. Come, let's go find Farengar, my court wizard. He's been looking into a matter related to these dragons and... rumors of dragons." he leads you to the room next to the great hall.

It seems to be a laboratory of some kind. The wizard stands behind a desk, checking something on an arcane enchanter.

"Farengar, I think I've found someone who can help you with your dragon project." the Jarl says and invites you in with a gesture. The wizard eyes you carefully.

"So the Jarl thinks you can be of use to me?" he says after Balgruuf returns to his throne. He thinks for a second. "Oh yes, he must be referring to my research into the dragons. Yes, I could use someone to fetch something for me. Well..." he hesitates. "When I say fetch, I really mean delve into a dangerous ruin in search of an ancient stone tablet that may or may not actually be there."

"All right." you roll your eyes. "Where am I going and what am I fetching?"

"Straight to the point, eh? No need for tedious hows and whys. I like that. Leave those details to your betters, am I right?"

"Betters?" you hiss but he continues speaking as if he didn't hear you. He seems very excited now.

"I began to search for information about dragons - where had they gone all those years ago? And where were they coming from? I ah, learned of a certain stone tablet said to be housed in Bleak Falls Barrow - a "Dragonstone," said to contain a map of dragon burial sites. Go to Bleak Falls Barrow, find this tablet - no doubt interred in the main chamber - and bring it to me. Simplicity itself."

***

You're at the stables again.

You could go and fetch the Dragonstone for Farengar but you feel like it can wait. There's something else that's bugging you - you still want to know who you were before Helgen. You really do want your memories back.

And so you walk over to a carriage driver.

"I'd like to hire your carriage." you tell him.

"Where do you want to go?" he asks, then lists some of the biggest cities in Skyrim. Your ears perk up when you hear him say: "Riften."

Riften... you feel like you've heard that name before... Maybe this is where you'll find answers to your questions. You decide that checking it out is worth a shot. You pay up twenty coins and jump on the cart.

"Nice weather for a ride. Hope it lasts." says the driver, taking the carriage on the road. "Listen, Khajiit... Riften is the southernmost and easternmost of all the cities in Skyrim. This trip might take a while. Hope you brought something to read."

"I did, actually!" you pull out The Book of the Dragonborn. This is a great opportunity to read this!

You open the book on a completely random page before starting reading from the beginning. What you have before you are the last words of some prophecy.

"When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding  
The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn"

Man, you don't know who that Dragonborn is yet, but it seems like it sucks to be him!

***

It takes you a few hours to arrive to your destination but it's all worth it.

Riften is located in the beautiful autumnal forest region of Skyrim. It stands at the eastern end of a lake, with a good portion of the city actually spilling over the water atop large wooden piers.

Before you can enter the city, a guard stops you. Of course he does.

"Hold there." he says. "Before I let you into Riften, you need to pay the visitor's tax."

"What's the tax for?" you ask, suspiciously.

"For the privilege of entering the city. What does it matter?"

"This is obviously a shakedown." you say, loudly and clearly.

"All right, keep your voice down... you want everyone to hear you?" he grunts. "I'll let you in, just let me unlock the gate."

You soon enter the city with a smirk. Turns out, Riften is bustling and energetic, bisected by a large canal. Most of its structures are wooden, and the city gives off an old and run-down feeling. But you don't even make it to the marketplace, when a nord thug stops you.

"Hey, you. Get over here, I want to talk to you." he says. You don't want to give him a reason to beat you up, so you humor him. "I don't know you. You in Riften lookin' for trouble?"

"Just passing through." you shrug.

"Yeah? Well, I got news for you; there's nothing to see here. Last thing the Black-Briars need is some stranger stickin' their nose where it doesn't belong."

"Who are the Black-Briars?"

"The Black-Briars have Riften in their pocket and the Thieves Guild watchin' their back, so keep your nose out of their business. Me? I'm Maul. I watch the streets for 'em. If you need dirt on anythin', I'm your guy... but it'll cost you."

"How about you tell me for free?" you ask. The question seems so naive, you can't help but chuckle. He also finds this amusing.

"Ha, ha! Don't make me laugh. Just stay out of the Black-Briars' affairs. You'll live longer." he walks away, shaking his head in disbelief.

You make a few steps and then something new stops you. Two people are arguing on the nearby bridge. You don't want to eavesdrop but they do kind of block the way.

"I'm really getting tired of your excuses." says the woman wearing a cool-looking leather armor. You want this armor. "When you borrowed the money, you said you'd pay it back on time for double the usual fee."

"I know I did." answers the young redguard. "But how was I supposed to know the shipment would get robbed?"

"Next time, keep your plans quieter and nothing would have happened to it."

"What?" his eyes go wide. "Are you saying you robbed it? Why? Why are you doing this to me?"

"Look, Shadr. Last warning. Pay up or else. All I care about is the gold. Everything else is your problem."

She leaves, entering the nearby inn. The guy called Shadr sighs heavily. You don't have a heart to just leave him like this. You sit next to him.

"Huh? What do you want?" he seems confused and kind of scared.

"What kind of trouble are you in?" you ask.

"I owe a great deal of money to someone and I think they cheated me. I don't know what to do." he answers quietly.

"Tell me the details."

"I was able to work out a deal with the stables in Whiterun to sell me some of their tack and harnesses. I borrowed some gold from Sapphire to pay for the shipment, but it got robbed before it even arrived. Now Sapphire wants her money back, and if I don't pay her, I think she's going to kill me."

"I'll help you pay off your debt." you offer.

"You will?!" his eyes go wider and a smile appears on his face. "Oh, thank you!"

As you stand up, he grabs your hand.

"Be careful with Sapphire." he warns you. "She's mixes with all sorts of nasty people."

"Don't worry." you smile reassuringly.

He lets you go. You turn your head to read the sign above the inn's door. The place is called The Bee and Barb. You enter, not wasting any more time.

The inn seems cozy enough but it smells like scales and would probably use a bard. You don't have to look around for long - the woman called Sapphire is leaning against the wall on your left.

"I wanted to talk about Shadr's debt." you say.

"I knew that stupid kid would try and find a way to weasel out of his debt." she chuckles bitterly. "Look, this is really simple. I lent him some gold, he promised to pay me back and now he says he's broke. End of story."

"You and I both know this is a setup." you fold your arms. The woman groans.

"All right, all right. I guess I made enough from his shipment. No need to waste any more time threatening a stable hand. Tell Shadr he doesn't owe me anything." she rolls her eyes.

Well, this wasn't so bad. But before you're able to leave, someone else is already approaching you. He has straight, red hair and wears fine clothes. The guy looks incredibly wealthy, he's probably a merchant of some kind.

"Never done an honest day's work in your life for all that coin you're carrying, eh lass?" he asks.

"I'm sorry, what?" you raise your eyebrows.

"I'm saying you've got the coin, but you didn't earn a septim of it honestly. I can tell." he smirks.

"My wealth is none of your business." you put your ears back.

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, lass." his voice gets quieter and he puts his arm around your shoulders. He's so close now, you can see the color of his eyes. They're green. "Wealth is my business. Maybe you'd like a taste?"

"What do you have in mind?" you ask carefully.

"I've got a bit of an errand to perform, but I need an extra pair of hands. And in my line of work, extra hands are well-paid." you keep staring at him, so he just shrugs and walks away, leaving you alone. "I can take a hint, lass. You want to make some coin, come find me. My name's Brynjolf, by the way."

As he leaves the inn, you notice Sapphire observing your face. Something tells you that she knows Brynjolf very well. You can't stand her stare anymore so you leave The Bee and Barb and find yourself at the marketplace.

It is placed on the plankside of the city. There are a number of small stalls in the center, and a few shops around it. You walk over to look at the stall run by a dark elf.

"I deal in specialty goods from Morrowind." he says. "My name is Brand-Shei."

You shake his hand.

"You have an odd name for a dark elf." you notice.

"I may be dark elf by birth, but I was raised Argonian." he explains. "Through reasons I'm still trying to discover, I ended up orphaned then taken in by a kindly Argonian family in Black Marsh. I hope one day to finally find out what happened to me... how I ended up like that."

You can easily relate - you have no memories about your former life either. You immediately feel sympathetic towards this guy.

"Do you have any clues about your past?" you ask.

"Just one. I know when I was found by my Argonian father, I was wrapped in a blanket bearing the symbol of House Telvanni. It was one of the great houses in Morrowind long ago. Whether that means I was one of them or not, I'm uncertain. If you come across anything in your travels that might provide me with the answers I'm looking for, I'd be grateful."

"Why were you searching in Skyrim?"

"I learned that a matron who had served for House Telvanni had escaped Morrowind during the Accession War. Records show her buying passage aboard a vessel named "The Pride of Tel Vos," but that's where the trail ran cold. I spent years looking for what became of the ship, but I ended up empty-handed."

"I'll keep an eye open." you promise him.

"Thank you. Anything you can find would be of great help. Good luck."

You wander around the marketplace until you decide it's time to tell Shadr the good news. On your way back to the stables, you give a coin to a beggar. Why not.

You find Shadr right outside the city gates.

"Any luck with Sapphire?" he asks the second he notices you.

"You're no longer in debt with her." you grin.

"By the Eight! You actually talked her into it?" he laughs with the relief. "I don't know what to say. I didn't think anyone in Riften even cared what happened to me. Look, I was saving this, but I wanted you to have it. I thought I might need it if Sapphire came for me, but I don't need it anymore."

He gives you a small, white flask. You recognize it as the invisibility potion. You chuckle and thank him for the gift. This may indeed come in handy.

Well, all things considered, this was a pretty productive day, you must say. You didn't find what you were looking for but you did make some new friends... You look at the road, thinking if this is a good time to go back. ...Oh who are you kidding, you won't leave until you get your memories back! The answers are here somewhere, you can feel it!

You go back to the marketplace. You find Brynjolf selling some potions.

"Glad to see you finally came to your senses." he smirks when you approach. "Ready to make some coin?"

"What do I have to do?"

"Simple... I'm going to cause a distraction and you're going to steal Madesi's silver ring from a strongbox under his stand. Once you have it, I want you to place it in Brand-Shei's pocket without him noticing."

Oh no.

"Why plant the ring on Brand-Shei?" you ask slowly.

"There's someone that wants to see him put out of business permanently. That's all you need to know. Now, you tell me when you're ready and we'll get started."

Oh no, there's no way you're going to frame your potential new friend!

"Why are we doing this to Brand-Shei?"

"We've been contracted to make sure Brand-Shei remember not to meddle in affairs that aren't his own. Now, since we're not the Dark Brotherhood, we're not going to kill him, we're just going to make sure he sits in the prisons for a few days." he points at the stone keep, where the city's jail is located. You stare in that direction.

Something tells you that you should pay a visit to the prisoners. You don't quite understand it. It is a very strong feeling though.

You have to think fast. Brynjolf raises his eyebrows, waiting for your decision. You take a deep breath.

"I'm ready. Let's get this started." you tell him.

"Good. Wait until I start the distraction and then show me what you're made of." you take a few steps backwards and Brynjolf starts exclaiming loudly: "Everyone! Everyone! Gather 'round! I have something amazing to show you that demands your attention! Gather 'round all! No pushing, no shoving. Plenty of room!"

"Come on, Brynjolf..." Brand-Shei groans. "What is it this time?"

But you don't wait around to see how this little show ends. You go run straight to Riften jail.

Before you're able to enter, a guard stops you.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, suspiciously.

Suddenly you remember that you are a Khajiit, wearing the Imperial armor, visiting a city that, from what you've heard, supports Ulfric Stormcloak. And with that, you say with the most casual, yet confident tone that you can muster: "It's fine, I'm allowed to be here."

"Oh, my mistake then." says the guard, opening the door for you. "Sorry, you can go ahead."

You thank the Thief Stone for its blessings and enter the jail.

You look into the first cell. What you see is a blue Khajiit, sitting in a chair. You feel your heart racing, as some faint memory appears in your mind. You feel like you recognize that Khajiit from somewhere but you can't quite put your finger on it.

You try to get his attention by waving but he doesn't respond to you. You look around. The guards are everywhere, you can't risk breaking in.

Unless...

You pull out the invisibility potion you got from Shadr, you make sure the guards don't pay attention to you and drink it. You disappear. You know it's not going to last for very long so you work fast - you pull out some lockpicks and make a good use of them.

The potion's effect runs out right when you jump into the cell. Only then the blue Khajiit adresses you.

You definitely recognize his voice. Right now it sounds morbid but it makes you incredibly happy.

"Come to kill me at last, have you? Thank the Gods! I can bear the guilt no longer."


End file.
